You Belong With Me
by xslashxlovingxslytherinx
Summary: Kanda/Lavi High-school AU based loosely on Taylor Swift's music video for You Belong With Me. In a nutshell, Kanda's in a relationship he doesn't want, Lavi's trying to understand him. Warning: shonen-ai, a few bad words, light slash, boylove, etc.
1. Chapter 1

MONDAY

Lavi could tell that the day was going to be strange simply by looking out his window. Across the way was another house, and a room whose window faced his own. However, unlike most days, the curtain of the other window was open, and a dark-haired male was sitting on his bed, glaring redhead.

Said redhead blinked, hesitating for a brief moment before waving timidly, causing the other to glare even harder, if possible. He recognized the other boy immediately. He was the 'bad boy' of the school with the perfect girlfriend, captain of the kendo team, and one of the most handsome boys in their grade. However, it was his reputation that caused him to have no friends, with the exception of his angelic girlfriend.

/We all call him Kanda at school, but that's his last name… no one knows his first name… he's definitely the most interesting person at our school./ Lavi thought as he watched the other pick up his backpack and walk away from the window. Examining his watch, he inwardly cursed. /Crud! I'm gonna be late!/ Lavi gathered his scattered binders and books and ran out the door, praying the bus wouldn't leave him again.

* * *

Luckily, the bus was running a few minute behind, so Lavi was able to board right behind Kanda. He scanned the aisles before locating the familiar white head.

"Bean sprout!" he cheered, taking a seat next to his best friend.

"Don't call me that!" the white-haired boy protested. His hair color was due to his oculocutaneous albinism (type two, thus the blue eyes), but it was rarely commented on.

"Sorry, Allen." Lavi chuckled as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Sooooo? How was your summer?"

"It was alright. I worked for most of it… you know how many debts my uncle accumulates." He laughed half-heartedly. "How about you?"

"Same… Gramps made me get a job at his library so I could take over once he croaks. It was torture! He expects me to know everything about every book we have in stock! That's what online library databases are for!" the redhead groaned.

"Do shut up, please." A short girl with spiked black hair rolled her eyes as she took the seat in front of them.

"Shouldn't you be three rows back, Rhode?" Lavi asked.

"Shouldn't you mind your own business?" she retorted. "Last I checked, my group may be outcasts, but we're still higher up on the food chain, nerd."

"Whoa! You just got slammed by a goth. You really are lame." One of the jocks chuckled.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not a Neanderthal."

"Ooo, big words. We're sooo scared!" the jock's cheerleader girlfriend giggled.

"Hey. Piss off, okay?" Rhode glared at the couple. "You're messing up my vibes, and I can't function if I can't hear my muses… and I'd hate to have to go into one of my destructive moods… I nearly blew up the gym last time it happened." An evil glint appeared in her eyes, causing the entire bus to immediately shift their attention elsewhere.

"Rhode… you're scary." Her cousin laughed as he took the seat next to her. "Why are you sitting back here with the nerds?"

"Because Allen's cute." Was her immediate response. "I was thinking we could merge our groups… safety in numbers and all that."

"In other words, you're hoping to recruit them into drama club."

"Pretty much." Rhode smirked, pulling a large lollipop out of her backpack.

The two began bickering, to Lavi and Allen's amusement, causing the other six members of their group to come over and pick sides.

"Oh, goodness. Did you two join the drama club over the summer?" Miranda asked as she and two others boarded the bus.

"Definitely not." Lavi answered. "Psycho runt over here wants us all to, though."

"Well that simply won't work! I'm taking way too many AP classes this year… I don't have time for extracurricular activities!" Johnny protested, adjusting his glasses.

"Grandfather wants me to go straight home after school every day." Krory added. "He really doesn't like the people in this town for some reason. I have no idea why he's stayed here for so many years…"

"Well, we're glad to have you with us, Krorykins!" Lavi cheered, pulling his friend down to sit in the seat next to his own. "So. Who wants to buy me lunch today?"

* * *

The cafeteria was crowded by the time Lavi joined his friends at their table.

"Oi. Drama twerp. What are you doing?" he asked the girl sitting next to Allen.

"Sitting next to my beloved Allen! What's it look like, moron?" Rhode answered with an irritated glare.

"Seriously, this is messing with my head… our groups aren't supposed to sit together."

"It's our senior year. It's time for change." Tyki shrugged.

"Exactly!" Rhode nodded emphatically.

"Uh, Rhode… you're still a sophomore." Allen spoke up. The punk girl merely giggled before pecking him on the cheek.

"Details."

"Hey, where are the other three?" Lavi asked, scanning the cafeteria for their friends. "Don't tell me they got stuck with first lunch…"

"Nah. Debitto just texted and said Professor Lee is holding them after the bell … Apparently one of his experiments went wild… again." Tyki sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket. "You'd think the administration would wise up after four years of this garbage."

"Yeah…" Lavi agreed, trailing off as a second flood of students entered the cafeteria, his grumpy neighbor amongst the crowd.

"There's Krory and Miranda!" Allen waved in an attempt to signal their friends.

"Hey, Lavi. Do you want my chicken nuggets? I'm not terribly hungry." Johnny offered as he took the seat across from the redhead.

"You bet!" he tore his attention away from Kanda in order to shift his attention to his friend. "What took you so long to get here? You have Mr. Reever, right? Doesn't he normally let out early?"

"I-ah-um-stopped by the lab… they just got some new computers and wanted me to help program them…" he stammered, attempting to cover his embarrassment.

"In other words, he wanted to see Lulu." Rhode smirked.

"H-hey! You know how hard it is to talk to her, even if your group is hanging out with ours now…." Johnny protested. "A-and she and I have a lot in common!"

"Yep. Totally has a crush." Allen chuckled along with Rhode's hysterical giggling.

"Like you can talk, boy." Tyki retorted.

"Y-yeah! You like Lenalee and she's a cheerleader!" Johnny added.

"Aww, he does? That makes me sad." Rhode pouted, getting up only to plop herself into Allen's lap. "Well, thanks to Mr. Scary over there, you have no chance with her. Meaning I get you all to myself!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against him happily.

"Psycho squirt." Lavi muttered, returning his attention to Kanda. The dark-haired male was currently seated at a small table where he was soon joined by Lenalee. The cheerleader immediately situated herself in his lap, ignoring the enraged glare from her boyfriend. After a few seconds of heated words between the two, he stood up, unceremoniously dumping her on the floor in his hasty exit.

"He's such a jerk." Allen muttered angrily to Lavi. "How can he do that to her? I mean, she's Lenalee, for goodness sake! She's an angel…" he trailed off, his eyes getting slightly glassy.

"Yep. Definitely a jerk." Lavi decided with a firm nod.

* * *

That night, Lavi once again found himself being watched by Kanda from across the narrow alley that separated their houses. Angrily, Lavi rummaged around under his bed until he found an old sketchbook from an art class he'd failed his freshman year. He grabbed a marker from his floor and began scribbling away angrily.

YOU'RE A JERK

was roughly slammed against his window, facing the other window. Kanda calmly raised an eyebrow before pulling out a similar sketchpad and writing a reply.

_Why?_

YOU TREAT EVERYONE LIKE CRAP

_Yeah. So?_

EVEN LENALEE!

Kanda merely held up his previous reply of '_Yeah. So?_' Even more frustrated, Lavi scribbled away until he had a reply.

SHE'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND.

_I hate her. She's annoying._

THEN WHY DATE HER?

_No choice_

WHAT? WHY NOT?

_Blackmail._

And before Lavi could ask more, the curtain was closed.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

TUESDAY

The next morning, Lavi once again greeted Kanda with a wave before rushing out the door to get to the bus. Throughout the day, no words were exchanged between them, although Kanda did nod at Lavi when they passed each other in the hallway. Whenever the redhead attempted to start a conversation, he was promptly ignored.

This was why Lavi was so confused when he glanced out his window to see a sketchbook facing him.

_Yo._

WHAT'S UP?

_Nothing. Just… felt like talking to you._

WHY?

_Hell if I know._

Lavi chuckled at that, earning him an angry

_What?!_

YOU'RE SO ODD.

_Shut the hell up._

NO THANKS. AT LEAST 'ODD' IS BETTER THAN 'JERK'

…_I'm not odd._

YOU SO ARE

_Prove it._

YOU'RE TALKING TO ME THRU SKETCHPADS

So the curtain closed with an arrogant smirk from Kanda.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

WEDNESDAY

The next night was not as pleasant. Kanda's window was open, but he was pacing angrily and yelling into his phone. He gestured wildly, not noticing the redhead watching him. Lavi was stretched out on his bed, facing the window, and was 'studying' while watching his neighbor. His music player cycled through various techno CDs in the background, drowning out the argument next door.

_**I HATE HER**_was slammed against the window, causing Lavi to jump. He immediately grabbed his sketchpad to reply.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

_Apparently I'm a bad boyfriend. I tolerate her. What else does she want?!_

UM… A HEALTHY LOVING RELATIONSHIP, MAYBE?

_Then she shouldn't have picked me_

DUMP HER THEN

_I can't_

I'M SORRY :(

Kanda shrugged, then closed the curtain.

/Poor Kanda…/ Lavi thought to himself. /We've been in the same class since middle school, but I've never seen him this unhappy before. I just want… to make it go away somehow./ On impulse, Lavi continued scribbling in the sketchbook.

I LOVE YOU

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

MONDAY

Lavi sighed angrily as he boarded the bus. The only interactions he'd had with his neighbor since the phone call incident was a one-sided wave Thursday morning before the curtain closed, and remained closed for the entire weekend. To make matters worse, Allen's phone was busy all weekend long, leaving Lavi completely alone for the weekend. Luckily, he was easily distracted from his internal anguish by the nonstop chatter all the way to the school.

By the time all the students were seated in their first period classes, silence was nonexistent. The entire student body was abuzz with gossip.

"I heard she's pregnant…"

"I heard she cheated on him."

"No way! That's not true! What happened was he cheated on her."

"That's not what I heard… My sources tell me that he tried to kill her."

"Yeah, right. He's grumpy, not homicidal."

"I heard it was an arranged marriage. Totally doomed from the start."

"Well I heard he's gay."

"What's going on, Allen?" Lavi asked as the albino took his seat.

"You didn't hear? Lenalee and Kanda broke up… There are so many rumors going around that no one knows what really went down." Johnny answered for the silent boy.

"Which means that Lenalee is now single. What do you think of that, Bean Sprout?" the redhead elbowed his friend in the ribs good-naturedly.

"Hmm? Oh, it's great." Allen replied absent-mindedly, refusing to look Lavi in the eye.

"Allen? Everything alright?" the redhead examined the other worriedly.

"I'm fine! Really, I am!" he waved nervously.

"Alright, let's start class, now…" the teacher attempted to get the students quiet, to no avail. After a few minutes of polite requests for silence, she snapped. "QUIET!! NOW!!!"

/Note to self… never piss of Ms. Nyne./ Lavi sweatdropped.

* * *

"Um…" Allen blinked.

"Nothing personal, but…" Johnny trailed off, not having the bravery to ask.

"Why are you sitting at the geek table?" Rhode asked, getting straight to the point. Kanda didn't answer, choosing to glare at her instead.

"Why are you?" Lavi retorted at Rhode before taking the seat next to the dark-haired male. "Hey. How was your day?"

"Do you have to ask? It was shit."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, barely speaking, which was rare for Lavi.

"Okay then…" Johnny scratched his head. "Today has been so bizarre."

* * *

Kanda continued sitting at their table for the next few weeks, making the redhead incredibly happy. He had no idea when it happened, but he knew he was in love.

Lavi's new hobby was watching kendo practice, simply to watch Kanda perform the katas with flawless grace. At first, watching Kanda spar other members was terrifying, but after six straight perfect wins against various members, he began enjoying it more. Seeing the precision and poise with which his neighbor fought was breathtaking.

After practice, the two would normally walk to their homes, which was only a few blocks away. Kanda would rarely speak openly unless expressing his dislike for something whereas Lavi had no problems chattering aimlessly to fill the silence. One particular Tuesday afternoon, they were sitting on a park bench near the main street, resting in a companionable silence. Kanda was leaned over a book, his arm slung over the bench behind Lavi's back. The redhead could feel the light pressure against his back, and he attempted to calm himself down enough to act normal.

Lavi glanced over at his companion, smiling lightly as he studied Kanda's features. Everything about the dark-haired male screamed 'Leave me alone!' yet all that did was cause Lavi to want to get to know him more. He leaned slightly closer before tucking a strand of the ebony hair behind Kanda's ear. Kanda smirked lightly before returning his attention to his book.

Then, with the worst timing in the world, a black convertible pulled up in front of them. Startled, the two jumped away from each other, both blushing slightly.

"Get in. We need to talk." Lenalee said, her voice cold. When Kanda made no effort to move toward her, she shrugged. "Suit yourself. I have no problems telling my story to the school paper. I'm sure that he'll just love reading change anything." Her voice was dripping with cruel sarcasm, causing Lavi to flinch.

"Calm down. I'm coming." Kanda growled. He shot Lavi an almost apologetic look before joining Lenalee in the car.

With a rev of her engine, they were gone.

* * *

HOW'D IT GO?

_Not good. She's releasing the story._

HOW MUCH?

_All. Even the blackmail_

In the other room, Kanda slammed his sketchbook down angrily before storming out of the room. Lavi waited nervously, worried about his friend.

I'M SORRY. ANYTHING I CAN DO? He left up, anticipating Kanda's return. Almost half an hour later, Kanda returned to the room, loose hair dripping wet and torso bare. He picked up his sketchpad and sat down on his bed to face the window. His expression softened after reading the message and he shook his head sadly.

HOW BAD IS THE BLACKMAIL?

_It wouldn't have been bad a few months ago, but now… It'll destroy me._

HUH? _

_Don't worry about it. You'll find out tomorrow._

WOW. THAT QUICK?

_Journalists are dedicated bastards._

YEAH. THEY'RE SCARY FOR 10TH GRADERS. DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH, THO. EVERYTHING'LL BE OKAY

_I highly doubt that._

WELL I'LL STAND BY YOU NO MATTER WHAT.

Lavi fingered the paper in his pocket, the deepest secret he'd ever had. He wanted desperately to tell Kanda the truth, especially as Kanda gestured at his last message.

_I highly doubt that_

/But…/ Lavi silently protested, waiting until Kanda's curtain closed before pressing the older page to the window with a sad sigh.

I LOVE YOU

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

WEDNESDAY

Lavi waited patiently in the cafeteria, the only presence at a small table. Both groups left him alone, not sure how to react to the article, much like the rest of the student body. No one had spoken to him all day, and even the teachers had left him alone.

The latest article of the school paper rested in the middle of the table, still unread. There was a part of him that genuinely didn't want to know what it said, or what it had to do with him, yet there was still a part of him that was curious.

"How bad is it?" an exasperated sigh signaled the arrival of Kanda, who slammed hi tray down before taking the seat next to Lavi.

"Dunno yet… I figured I'd wait to read it with you."

"I'm not going to comment on that." Kanda snatched up the paper before reading it quietly to himself. "Shit…"

"That bad, huh?" Lavi reached for the paper that Kanda had angrily thrown on the floor. He looked at Kanda, asking for permission with his eyes. Kanda waved a hand, attempting to be nonchalant, but his shaking hands betrayed the fear he was feeling. Lavi desperately wanted to grab those hands, to soothe the pain his friend was feeling, but he knew it wouldn't help. Taking a deep breath, he began to read.

* * *

RENOWNED BAD BOY- SECRETS REVEALED!

Everyone knows about the infamous break-up of golden couple Lenalee Lee and Kanda, but no one has been able to find the truth behind the scandal… Until now. This reporter received a call from an Ms. Lee late last night which was very enlightening.

FO: Ms. Lee, you seem very distraught. What's on your mind?

LL: I need to get something off my chest. This secret has been hidden for far too long [……] it's eating away at me.

FO: Is this on the record?

LL: Please.

FO: If that's what you want…

LL: You have no idea. I am more than willing to admit my part in our dysfunctional relationship, but I still think that the student body deserves to know the truth. Yu and I, that's 'Y-U', not 'Y-O-U'—

FO: Who's Yu?

LL: Oh, I forgot, he doesn't want people to know his first name. Kanda is my ex-boyfriends last name. His full name is Yu Kanda. At any rate, we were hardly a perfect couple. We had our issues, just like everyone else, but I'm afraid ours were far worse. Our relationship was doomed from the start. It all started one day when I found a notebook… and not just any notebook, but the notebook of one Yu Kanda. In one of the margins, I found someone's name doodled with a heart next to it. Now, I had been in love with Kanda since our freshman year, and I knew that he was easily the most gorgeous man in our school. So, I was determined to have him. Once I found his weak spot, his secret crush, I exploited it mercilessly.

FO: Oh? How so?

LL: Simple. I blackmailed him into dating me. I had him play the part of the perfect boyfriend, well, the handsome boyfriend, at least. He never loved me, never even had feelings for me, but I didn't care. I was selfish, but can you blame me? I just wanted… to at least pretend someone cared about me. I liked that he didn't adore me like everyone else did. It made me feel normal for once.

FO: Well, you do have a bit of a reputation at our school… Everyone wants to be with you.

LL: *laughs* Not everyone. And that's why I was so desperate to date Kanda. Then, when I found out that not only did he have a crush, but that the stone-cold, heartless Yu Kanda was head-over heels for a –guy-, our relationship got even more complicated.

FO: Wait… you didn't know who the crush was when you first blackmailed him?

LL: There are thousands of people in this school. I can hardly be expected to know –everyone-. *shrugs* All I had was a name, and the fact that it was enough to secure him surprised me. It made more sense once I found out his crush was a guy.

FO: Any chance you'll be revealing that name?

LL: *laughs* Very soon, I promise.

FO: Excellent. So tell us about the break up… Who instigated it?

LL: Me, I guess. Eventually, I got fed up with having an inattentive boyfriend, and I went off on him. So… he dumped me. I guess he got fed up too. I tried to get him to get back together with me, but he wouldn't do it. *laughs* I've learned the hard way that when Yu Kanda says no, he means it.

FO: A lesson we'll all take to heart, I'm sure… So…? I believe you promised us certain details.

LL: Yep, and according to Kanda himself, he is still crazy about this same person from last year. What's worse is that it's actually developed into something deep… something he and I never had. Yu Kanda is in love with—

* * *

Lavi's eyes widened as he reached the end of the article. His lips formed an 'O', and the paper fell to the floor. Kanda immediately pushed his seat away from the table and began walking away.

Lavi tried to stop him, but he was quickly disappearing through the crowds filling the cafeteria.

"Hey! Wait!" when Kanda didn't slow down, Lavi took a deep breath and shouted.

"YU KANDA! STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The entire cafeteria fell silent, watching the drama unfold.

"What?" Kanda asked, his cold mask of indifference falling into place.

"Is it true?"

"What?" he frowned, clearly not expecting what Lavi had just asked.

"Is. It. True?"

Finally understanding, Kanda averted his eyes, giving a curt nod.

"You did all that… endured a relationship you didn't want… allowed the entire school to think you were a crappy boyfriend… to cover up a crush?"

Kanda nodded again, his lips twisting into an angry scowl.

"…on me?" Lavi finished softly. If it weren't for Kanda's reaction, he never would have believed what he'd read.

"Yes, alright?! Now leave me the hell alone so I can go back to doing what I do best: being alone."

"No." Lavi shook his head angrily before fumbling around in his pockets. Finally finding what he'd been looking for, he pulled out the white piece of paper. He unfolded it slowly, not noticing the eyes of the entire cafeteria on him.

I LOVE YOU

Kanda's eyes widened in disbelief as he read the paper, his expression slowly softening. His head ducked down immediately as he searched through his pockets. He pulled a folded square of paper from his back pocket and unfolded it with a smirk.

_I love you_

Blue eyes met green, and the rest of the student body was temporarily forgotten as the two moved closer to each other until their faces were mere centimeters apart, and Kanda's hands were on Lavi's waist. The redhead's breath hitched in his chest and he was terrified that Kanda could hear his heartbeat due to how fast it was thumping against his ribcage. Kanda's eyes searched Lavi's face for a moment that stretched on for eternity before tightening his hold around the redhead's waist. Their lips met briefly before the entire cafeteria (or at the very least, the entire female, geek, and drama club population) burst into applause. Lavi pulled away slightly, beaming at Kanda.

"I told you they belonged together." Allen whispered conspiratorially to Lenalee.

"I know… I should have listened to you." She sighed. "Thanks for helping me get through the breakup, though. It was nice to have someone to talk to." Lenalle twirled one of her pigtail with a soft smile.

"Anytime." The albino smiled.

* * *

After the chaos died down, the new couple returned to their table, fingers entwined.

"I still can't believe she published my first name." Kanda scowled before eating his forgotten soba.

"Don't worry about it, Yu. I think it suits you." Lavi grinned between bites of cafeteria-issued lasagna.

"Don't call me that."

"Aw! You're no fun!" Lavi pouted before leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Che. Whatever."

**yOu BeLoNg WiTh Me**


End file.
